Apparatus for tempering shoe parts



Nov. 26, 1929. F. TOOTHAKER APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING SHOE PARTS .Filed Sept. 24; 1925 wwMllllf/rllfllrl/llllllllllt VE N TU/Fi Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRED E. TOOTI-IAKER, OF SWAMPSGOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY APPARATUS FOR TEMPERING SHOE PARTS Application filed September 24, 1925. Serial No. 58,387.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling shoe parts of the type-which require treatment with a volatile liquid before insertion in shoes.

In the manufacture of shoes it is customary to make use of stiifeners permanently incorporated in a shoe in order to maintain various parts of the shoe in proper shape. One such stifiener which has gone into extensive use is a box-toe stiffener comprising cotton fabric impregnated with celluloid material. Before this stiffener is inserted in the shoe, it is necessary that it be treated, with a mixture of alcohol and acetone or other volatile liquid, to soften or temper the stiffener so that it may be readily shaped to a last in the pulling-over operation. 7

In tempering such box-toe stiifeners, it has been the practice to dip them one by one in small lots in the softening liquid and then to allow them to stand for an interval in a container capable of confining the fumes of the liquid. During this interval the excess liquid, if any, drains from the stifieners and the remaining liquid works into the stiffeners and dissolves or softens the stiffening material. It is desirable that the stifteners, after having been treated with the liquid, be kept separate from one another since they are quite tacky, and commonly thestiifeners are held upright upon one edge in spaced relation while they are in the closed container. A considerable amount oftime is thus consumed in dipping the stift'eners; and, during the interval in which they stand in the closed container, more or less dissolved celluloid tends to leave the upper portion of the stiffeners and collect in their lower margins so that the stiifeners after having been incorporated in shoes and allowed to harden are liable to have marked differences in resiliency in different localities. I

According to one feature of the present invention, there is provided a receptacle for softening liquid, a carrier upon which a plurality of shoe-parts are held in spaced relation, movable from a position above the level of the liquid into the liquid, and means under control of the operator for holding the carrier in raised position. The illustrated apparatus comprises a receptacle for liquid, a carrier slidable in the receptacle from a position above the liquid to a position in the liquid. and a plurality of trays of wire mesh mounted in the carrier upon which the stiffeners are held in spaced relation. In the operation of the apparatus the carrier with the trays upon which the stiifeners are held is lowered into the liquid and then raised and fastened in raised position for an interval to permit the stiifeners to become thoroughly softened, after which the trays may be taken out one by one as required and the softened or tempered stiifeners incorporated in shoes. With this construction a large number of stifieners may be tempered in a short time and maintained in temper.

According to another feature of the invcntion the stiffeners are held in substantial- 1y horizontal position during the dipping and draining operations so as to avoid the tendency of the stiffening material to become distributed unevenly throughout the stiffeners, as is liable to occur when the stiffeners are held upright upon one of their edges. Although the stiifeners are held in substantially iorizontal position, they are preferably held very slightly raised at one edge to facilitate being grasped by the operator who removes them one by one just prior to incorporating them in shoes.

These and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will be described as embodied in an illustrative apparatus and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the tempering apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a portion of the apparatus partly in section, showing the trays in position in the lower part of the container;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a tray with shoe parts positioned thereon; and

Fig. i is a Fig. 3.

The embodiment of the invention herein illustrated comprises a rectangular container or receptacle 10 formed of sheet metal and section taken on lines 4-& of

a tray-supporting frame or carrier 12 slidably positioned therein. The lower portion of the receptacle 10 is adapted to contain softening liquid such as a mixture of alcohol and acetone, or other volatile liquid, the upper half of the front wall of the receptacle and the top being open. The lower portion of the receptacle is provided with a filling device let including a glass tube 16 by means of which the level of the liquid in the receptacle may be observed.

The tray-supporting frame 12 comprises a top 18, and two depending side walls, one of which is shown at 20, constructed to fit closely within the walls of the receptacle, but with sufficient clearance so that the frame may be readily raised or lowered within the receptacle by means of a handle 22 attached to the top 18. To hold the frame in raised position cleats 2-1 are provided on the top thereof, the cleats being adapted to be turned to extend over the side walls of the receptacle when it is desired to maintain the frame in position in the upper portion of the receptacle. When the frame is in raised position, the top 18 forms a closure for the upper portion of the receptacle.

The side walls of the frame are provided with guides 26'for slidably supporting trays, indicated generally at 28, which may be withdrawn from the frame, as will presently appear, when the latter is in raised position.

.Arranged behind the front Wall 30 of the receptacle is a vertically movable slide 32 i which is held in position between the wall 30 and the frame 12. The slide 32 is provided with a. handle 34 (Fig. 2), which, when the slide is in lowered position, is received in slot 36; This slide, when lowered, permits access to all of the trays in the frame, and when in raised position, forms a closure for the upper front portion of the receptacle. Means is provided for holding the slide in closed or partly closed position. This means comprises a slidable pin 38 which when moved inwardly is adapted to engage the upper surface of a tray and thus support the slide. When the slide is lowered to the bottom of the receptacle, the pin 38 is received in a slot 40.

Each of thetrays 28 comprises a frame 42 (Figs. 3 and 4) which carries wire mesh 44:. In order that shoe parts may be properly held in substantially horizontal position and may be held down when the tray is immersed in the tempering liquid, wires 46 are provided, said wires being attached to the frame 42 and spaced a slight distance above the mesh 44:. Means is also provided for holding the shoe parts with one of their edges tilted slightly upwardly so that said parts may be readily grasped by the operator. This means comprises rods 48 arranged parallel to the wires 46 and spaced therefrom by a distance less than the width of a shoe part.

In placing s'hoeparts to be treated on the trays the shoe parts such as box toe stiffeners 50 are arranged in each tray in a single layer in rows extending along the rods 48, one end of each part being inserted under a wire l6, the other end resting on an adjacent rod 48.

In addition to the trays constructed as above described, use is made of a plate 52 which is adapted to be inserted in the lowermost guides of the frame when the latter is in raised position. This plate prevents the escape of fumes from the lowerportion of the receptacle and thereby avoids excessive impregnation of the shoe parts while tempering as well as Waste of the liquid when the slide 32 is lowered.

Assuming that the receptacle 10 is filled with softening liquid up to the proper level, and that the slide 32 and the frame 12 are in raised position, the operation of the apparatus asfollows :The shoe parts-which require treatment are placed on the trays 28, and the frame with the trays is lowered to the bottom of the container and permitted to remain in the softening liquid for a suitable length of time, depending on the thickness of the shoe parts treated. The frame is then raised, secured in position and the plate 52 is inserted in the lowermost guides to prevent excessive escape of the fumes from the liquid. The slide 32 is raised and held in its highest position by means of the pin 38, thus closing the receptacle. The shoe parts are permitted to stand a suflicient length of time so that the softening liquid may thoroughly penetrate the parts. is ready to use the shoe parts, the front slide is lowered, and a tray with its shoe parts, now in tempered condition, is removed, and the slide is again raised. In thisway shoe parts may be used as required, without exposing more than one tray at a time to the air.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is Y 1. An apparatus for tempering shoe-parts having, in combination, a receptacle for softening liquid having an opening in the top and one of the sides thereof, a carrier for shoe-parts slidable in the receptacle and having a top shaped to close the opening in the top of the receptacle, and a slide adapted to close the opening in the side of the receptacle.

2. An apparatus for tempering shoe-parts having, in combination, a receptacle for softening liquid having an opening in the top and one of the sides thereof, a carrier for shoe-parts slidable in the receptacle and having a top shaped to close the openingin the top of the receptacle,.a slide adapted to close T the opening in the side of the receptacle, and a plurality of trayson the carrier removable through the opening in theside of the receptacle.

3. Apparatus for tempering shoe-parts When the pullingover operator comprising a container for softening liquid, said container having an opening in the side thereof, a frame slidably positioned in the container, a plurality of trays for carrying shoe-parts slidably mounted in the frame, means for securing the frame in position in the upper portion of the container, and a slide for closing the opening to prevent the escape of fumes of the liquid when the frame is in raised position.

4:. Apparatus for tempering shoe-parts comprising a container, the lower port-ion of the container being adapted to receive softening liquid, a frame slidable in the container, means for raising and lowering the frame, and a plurality of trays mounted in the frame, the upper portion of one side of the container being open so that trays may be withdrawn when the frame is in raised position.

5. Apparatus for tempering shoe-parts comprising a receptacle the lower portion of which is adapted to receive softening liquid, a frame adapted to be lowered into the I liquid or raised into position above the liquid, means for securing the frame in position above the liquid, and trays mounted in the frame and adapted for lateral movement when the frame is in raised position.

6. An apparatus for tempering shoe-parts having, in combination, a tray having a horizontal supporting surface, a plurality of members mounted on the tray adapted to retain shoe-parts in position on the tray, and other members adapted to support one edge of each of the shoe parts in position to be readily grasped by the operator.

7. An apparatus for tempering shoe stiffeners having in combination a receptacle for tempering liquid, a carrier for the stiifeners normally held above the liquid and mounted for movement into and out of the liquid, and means mounted upon the carrier for engaging the fiat'sides of the stiffeners and holding them in substantially horizontal position and in spaced relation.

.8. An apparatus for tempering shoe stiffeners having in combination a receptacle for tempering liquid, a stiffener carrier having a lower portion provided with holes through which the liquid may pass, said carrier being mounted for sliding movement to immerse the stifl'eners in and to withdraw them from the liquid, means mounted upon the J lower portion of the carrier for holding the stiffeners in substantially horizontal position and in spaced relation, and means adapted normally to hold the carrier above the liquid.

9. An apparatus for tempering shoe parts having, in combination, a tray having a supporting surface, and a member associated with said tray and spaced a slight distance from the supporting surface thereof to permit the insertion of a shoe part between said member and the supporting surface of said tray, said member serving to hold the shoe part down when the tray is immersed in a tempering liquid.

10. An apparatus for tempering shoe parts having, in combination, a tray having a supporting surface, and a pair of members associated with said tray and spaced from each other, said members being positioned respectively to overlie and to underlie a shoe part upon the supporting surface of said tray and thereby to hold the shoe part upon the tray with an edge of the shoe part tilted slightly away from the tray to facilitate grasping the shoe part.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED E. TOOTHAKER. 

